Airship.



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E. E. PAULEY.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 12, 1913. 1,104,702, Patented July 21, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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AIBSHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED DB0.12, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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E. E. PAULBY.

AIRSHIP.

APPLIOATIQy FILED 11Eq.12,1913.

1,104,702. Patented July 21, 1911 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

EDWARD E. PAU'LEY, OF MARION, INDIANA.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 12, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914. Serial No. 806,277.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD E. PAULEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airships, and its primary object is to provide an airship of simple construction in which the major portion of the weight is arranged below the supporting surface and at the base of the machine to secure inherent stability `in which the supporting surface is of such a form as to act upon and confine the air efliciently for sustention and to prevent skidding of the machine, in which means are provided for tilting said supporting surface on a horizontal transverse axis arranged substantially midway of its ends to adapt said surface for use as a horizontal rudder to steer the machine upward or downward and maintain its stability, and in which a fuselage or main frame of an openwork type is provided to allow of the free passage of the air on the up and down steering motions of the ship,

whereby resistance to up and down travel is considerably diminished.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an airship constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the ship. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line l5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the supporting surface.

The main frame of the improved airship embodying my invention is of openwork construction to as great an extent as possible, and comprises a pair of parallel longitudinal bars l connected at their ends by cross pieces 2 and at the center by spaced platform sections 3 and 4, a depressed bed or platform 5 being arranged between and secured to said bars 1 amidships to support the motor 6 and fuel supplying devices. In all other respects, the frame structure is left aS open as possible in order to permit of thefree passage of air therethrough, to diminish resistance to ascension and descension. Rising from the front and rear ends of the bars 1 are short uprights 7, reinforced from the bars by downwardly and inwardly inclined struts or braces 8, and rising from the central portions of the bars 1 are longer uprights 9 reinforced from said bars by downwardly and outwardly inclined struts or braces 10, which are arranged to cross the braces 8 and coperate therewith to thrust the sides of the frame to provide a frame structure of maxii mum strength and rigidity. The frame structure is equipped with suitable launching and landing wheels 11, or any other preferred type of launching and alighting base, which may adapt the machine to be launched from land or water and to light upon the ground or upon the surface of a body of water. Suitable pontoons or floats may also be employed when desired as part of the launching and alighting gear to adapt the machine to rest upon, travel along and rise from the surface of a body of water. The width of the machine is approximately onehalf of its longitudinal dimensions or length, and said machine is provided with a supporting surface 12 conforming substantially in width and length thereto and having its greatest length in the direction of the line of flight. This supporting surface may be flat, but preferably is in the form of a hood or inverted trough, providing a transversely convex upper or rarefaction surface to permit of its travel through air without material head resistance, and a concaved bottom or reaction surface providing a longitudinally extending channel in which the air compressed thereby is temporarily confined to utilize all ofits lifting force, while preventing any tendency of the machine to skid or drift in a sidewise direction when in straight flight. As shown, this supporting surface comprises longitudinally extending bars 13 connected by frame bows 14 and tongued or grooved boards or slats 15 filling the spaces between the bars and frame base and suitably secured thereto and to each other. In place of the boards or slats, canvas or any other suitable fabric or material may be used to form the body of the supporting surface. The bars 13 of the supporting surface are hinged or pivoted intermediate of their length to the upper ends of the long central uprights 9, the hinges or pivots being so arranged as to adapt the supporting surface to tilt vertically upon a horizontal transverse axis which is disposed at a point midway between the leading and trailing edges of such surfaces, so that when the forward end of the surfaces is tilted upwardly the rear end of such surfaces will be tilted downwardly, and viceversa.

For the purpose of tilting the surface 12, to enable the machine to be steered vertically and its balance to be maintained at all times, I provide a steering and Controlling gear comprising a steering wheel 16 disposed so as to be conveniently operated by the aviator or pilot from his position upon a seat 17 mounted on the central platform section 4. As shown, the wheel 16 is mounted on a longitudinally extending shaft 18 coupled by gears 19 with a transversely eX- tending winding shaft 2O which is adapted to be rotated backwardly or forwardly by reverse rotations of the wheel 16. Front and rear pairs of controlling cables 21 and 22 connect the opposite ends of the supporting surface 12 with the winding shaft 2 0 to admit of the supporting surface being tilted in opposite directions at will and held in its normal position or at any desired angle of incidence. As shown, the forward ends of the cables 21 are connected with the forward ends of the bars 13 and thence pass downwardly and rearwardly over guide pulleys 23 on the front uprights 7, and thence rearwardly and are connected at their inner or rear ends to the shaft 20 so as to be simultaneously wound thereon, while the rear ends of the cables 22 are connected with the rear ends of the bars 13 and said Cables thence pass downwardly and forwardly over guide pulleys 24 on the rear upright 7 and at their inner or forward ends are connected with the winding shaft 2O so as to simultaneously wind thereon or unwind therefrom in a. direction opposite to the winding and unwinding movements of the cables 21. Cross cables 25 and 26 may connect the inner ends of the cables of the respective pairs 21 and 21 so as to insure an even and regulated movement thereof. It will, of course, be understood that each cable 21 and the companion cable 22 on the same side of the machine may be in the form of a single, continuous cable wound intermediately between the cable portions 21 and 22 about the shaft 20, so that said cable portions 21 and 22 will have reverse winding and unwinding motions.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that when the wheel 16 is turned in one direction or the other the shaft 2O will be turned forwardly or rearwardly, thereby winding up one set ofcables and unwinding the other set so as to tilt the supporting surface 12 downwardly and forwardly or downwardly and rearwardly, as desired, whereby said supporting surface may be adjusted for a variety of steering and balancing actions. In order to enable the supporting surface and steering and controlling gear to be locked in any position of adjustment, I provide a locking device 27 in the form of a dog or pawl adapted to engage teeth 28 on the wheel, said dog or pawl being gravity or spring controlled for a normal engaging action and adapted to be thrown out of action at any time by means of a treadle or foot lever 29 arranged so as to be conveniently operated by the aviator to lock or release the wheel 16, as desired. For the purpose of steering the machine in a horizontal plane to the right or left 1 provide at the rear of the frame a vertical rudder 30 suitably supported to swing laterally on a vertical axis. Cables 31 connect with opposite sides of this rudder and extend over suitable guide pulleys 32 to a hand or foot lever 33 whereby said rudder may be adjusted in a ready and convenient manner. An arched frame 3-1 rises from the platform section 3 and is reinforced from the platform section 4 by struts or braces 35, the upper cross bar of said arched frame being provided with a bearing for a shaft 36 carrying a driving propeller 37. A sprocket chain 38 passes over a sprocket wheel 39 on the propeller shaft and about a drive sprocket L10 on the shaft of the motor 6 by which the propeller is driven, the controlling device of the motor being arranged in convenient position to the aviators seat so that the speed of the motor and propeller, as well as the fuel feed, etc., may be controlled in a ready and c'i'ective manner.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that my invention provides a flying machine which is of simple structure and embodies an open work passage of air therethrough to diminish resistance to propulsion, ascension and descension, and in which the major portion of the load weight is disposed in the vertical line of the centers of gravity and pressure and at such a low point as to give to low center of gravity, so that the machine will have inherent balancing or stabilizing properties. The supporting surface also, in addition to its etliciency in securing a lifting impulse of the air thereon and preventing skidding or sidewise deflection of the machine, by being arranged to tilt to different angles of incidence under the control of the aviator and provides for the vertical steering of the machine, as well as its longitudinal balancing without the use of auxiliary or extraneous steering and balancing devices, whereby maximum simplicity of construction is secured, together with a reduction of weight and decrease of head resistance.

I claim A flying machine comprising a frame work formed of a pair of longitudinally eX- tending bars connected at the ends thereof by cross pieces and at the center thereof by spaced platform sections, an engine bed secured to the bars beneath said platform sections, short uprights at the front and rear ends of the bars, longer uprights at the centers of the bars, struts connecting said uprights with the bars, a. longitudinally eX- tending supporting surface pivotally mounted upon the central uprights to tilt vertically upon a horizontal transverse axis, said supporting surface being of major length in the direction of flight and substantially hood-shaped, a steering wheel mounted upon one of Said platform sections, a winding shaft actuated thereby, guide pulleys upon the short, front and rear uprights, cables connected with the front and rear ends of the supporting surface and leading inwardly over said guide pulleys to said winding shaft, the front and rear cables being arranged t0 wind in opposite directions vupon said shaft, locking means for holding the steering Wheel in adjusted position, an arched frame rising from the other platform, a driving propeller journaled upon said arched frame, a motor supported upon the motor bed, and a driving connection between said motor and the shaft of the propeller.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD E. PAULEY. Witnesses:

JOHN L. SHEARER, HENRY SHEPPERD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

